Why?
Bright Spots findings in Telford showed that children in care wanted more contact with their brothers and sisters. The council also recognised that children talk about sibling relationships differently from adults and professionals. Adults talk about ‘contact’, ‘arrangements’ and ‘frequency’, whereas children talk about ‘brothers and sisters’, ‘relationships’ and ‘missing their family’.
For children, the most important thing was having opportunities to build connections and develop deeper relationships with those people they don’t see very often. Armed with this information, Telford sought to create opportunities for siblings who did not live together to spend more meaningful and enjoyable time together.
What?
Telford introduced regular sibling activity events for children in care who do not live with their siblings. Activities are varied and shaped by the children who take part. These have included trips to a local theme park, craft evenings and outdoor activities like treetop climbing at an outdoor pursuits centre. The activities are informal and focus on giving siblings opportunities to laugh, play, make memories and have experiences together.
Impact
Children and carers have responded positively, with some children wanting to stay longer and carers staying to see siblings enjoying time together. Bright Spots findings also showed improvement in whether children felt their sibling contact was ‘just right’, reaching 66% for 8-11 year-olds and 55% for 11-17 year-olds in Telford’s most recent survey. Most importantly, the council demonstrated that children’s feedback could lead directly to practical change.
Coram works with agencies to deliver Sibling Time Activity Days. Find out more here.